Many homeowners start decorating their houses with beautiful Christmas lights as the Christmas holiday approaches. Christmas is a special day for Christians worldwide because it helps them remember the birth of Jesus Christ, who was later crucified to save the world.
However, the festive season traditions and celebrations are older. This explains why many cultures worldwide use lights to celebrate the winter solstice during the Christmas holiday.
From the quality candles used in Sweden to paper lanterns used in Japan, each culture uses the lights differently during the holiday season. This article will highlight how Christmas lights are used in different cultures and what they signify.
The History Of Christmas Lights
The tradition of using special lights during the winter solstice started long before Christmas celebrations. This explains why people from different backgrounds and cultures, even non-Christians, use permanent Christmas lights during the festive season.
Traditionally, the lights were used to mark the winter solstice: the shortest day and the longest night. People would gather in common places and celebrate the promise of longer daylights to come.
For instance, Romans celebrated the festival with candles and torches to signify the return of longer days. In Yule, the Celtic festival marked a rebirth of the sun with candles and fires.
Introduction Of Christian Traditions
Christians started using lights to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ relatively recently, in the 16th century. The first recorded Christmas celebration occurred in Germany, where Christians used small candles to decorate a Christmas tree. More people embraced these celebrations and adopted the Christmas tree as a standard decoration.
The tradition of installing Christmas trees and decorating them with lights spread throughout Europe and later in the United States. Today, many people use lights to decorate their homes, streets, churches, and parks during the festive season. So, Christmas lights help Christians and non-Christians celebrate the special day in style.
Japan
During Akari, the winter season, the Japanese used to light up the streets with attractive paper lanterns. This tradition started in Kyoto between 794 and 1185 AD and later spread to other parts of Japan. So, many Japanese people decorate their houses or businesses with colored paper lanterns.
As more people embraced this tradition, they started using different paper shapes and later introduced modern decoration designs associated with anime and manga designs. Today, many people in Japan celebrate Christmas by installing electric lights on shrubs and trees.
China
People in China started installing lanterns to mark the New Year thousands of years ago. During the festive season, many cities and towns currently use beautiful lanterns for decoration. The lanterns usually have different shapes and colors inspired by the traditionally popular red color and mythical creatures like dragons.
However, Chinese cities like Shanghai and Beijing today use modern Christmas lights during the Christmas season. So, it is common to find hotels, resorts, shopping malls, schools, and restaurants decorated with electric Christmas lights. The decorations attract clients to those businesses and create a festive season atmosphere.
Sweden
Centuries ago, people in Sweden started lighting the dark winter nights with electric lights and candles. So, many Swedish houses and shopping centers today are decorated with attractive candlesticks and electric lights to create a warm and comfortable atmosphere during the festive season.
Many people also light the Advent candles, where a new candle is lit every Sunday to mark the countdown to Christmas. Some homes also hang Advent Star lighting in their windows to create a festive atmosphere.
Germany
As explained earlier, the first Christmas tree was used in Germany in the 16th Century. So, Christmas trees with electric lights are popular throughout Germany. However, Germans use electric lights to decorate not just their homes but also shopping malls, restaurants, and other businesses.
Besides, many people from all over the world visit Germany to buy Christmas decorations from the Christmas markets, which are popular due to this tradition. For instance, Nuremberg is a popular Christmas market selling handmade ornaments and traditional gingerbread to make the special holiday season memorable. As expected, this Christmas market has a magical appearance due to the thousands of lights displayed to attract customers and visitors.
United States
Christmas decorations are one of the popular traditions in the United States. Americans usually install electric lights in different parts of their houses and decorate major cities like New York and suburban centers. The Christmas tradition makes the Rockefeller Center tree a popular tourist attraction in New York City.
Other light displays in the United States include the Festival of Lights in La Crosse, WI, the Festival of Lights in Riverside, CA, and the National Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C. People visit these places yearly to see the amazing lighting and create nostalgic memories during the Christmas holiday.
Australia
Christmas in Australia comes in the summer to the delight of locals and tourists who like spending time outdoors. Therefore, many people celebrate the holidays in decorated parks and gardens. Homeowners also install electric lights indoors and outdoors to create a holiday atmosphere during Christmas.
The popular destinations for people interested in Christmas light displays include the Christmas Wonderland, Christmas Lights Spectacular, and Lights of Lobethal in Sydney, Hunter Valley, and South Australia, respectively.
South Africa
The Christmas holiday finds South Africans enjoying the summer season. Like other cultures, South Africans decorate their houses with electric lights and Christmas trees. They also install string lights to improve the appearance of the streets and shopping malls.
The best Christmas decorations are displayed at the Festival of Lights in Cape Town. This Christmas lights display attracts many residents and guests and helps local businesses generate more revenues during the festive season.
Choosing The Best Colors Of Christmas Lights
Christmas light colors have different meanings. For instance, red represents passion or love, while blue creates a calming atmosphere. White represents purity, while green lights symbolize hope. Gold Christmas lights represent luxury, while silver represents the stars. So, homeowners should consider this when selecting Christmas lights to create the desired atmosphere.
Christmas lights are used in different cultures to spread joy and love during the festive season. Although the lights might have different meanings, they create invaluable Christmas memories. So, homeowners should consider installing quality lights during Christmas, whether they are Christians or not.
